Why Does Peer Pressure Influence Teens To Try Drugs?
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During NIDA’s most recent Drug Facts Chat Day,“Kid” from Totino-Grace High School in Minnesota, asked: “Why is peer pressure such a huge factor in teens’ temptations [to experiment with] drugs and alcohol?”
Risk Versus Reward
New research shows that, when making a decision, teens think about both the risks and rewards of their actions and behaviors—but, unlike adults, teens are more likely to ignore the risk in favor of the reward.
In a NIDA-funded study, teens driving with their friends in the car were more likely to take risks—like speeding through yellow lights—if they knew that two or more of their friends were watching. Teens were also significantly more likely to act this way than adults in the same experiment.
Researchers monitored the brain activity of all the teen drivers. Results showed that just knowing friends were watching activated brain regions linked with reward, especially when the teen drivers made risky decisions.
So, be aware: The desire to impress your friends may override your fear of taking risks. This could also apply to deciding whether to try drugs or alcohol—your decision might be influenced by who is around and if you think they’d be impressed.
Tell us: When you already know the risks, yet you want to impress your friends, do you run the light or slow down and stop? Do you accept a drink or turn it down? Do you go with the crowd or be your own person and impress others with your individuality?
What are some ways you could put the brakes on long enough to think twice before making a decision to do something you know is risky?
Real Teens Ask: Is Propofol a Drug?
Since the death of Michael Jackson in 2009, “propofol” has been mentioned often in the news. The substance was found to be the cause of his death and was the center of the highly publicized trial of his doctor.
So, it’s no surprise there is a lot of curiosity about propofol. NIDA received questions about it during last year’s Drug Facts Chat Day.
During Chat Day, Cam from California asked about the basics—
Is propofol a drug?
Yes. Propofol is a common type of anesthetic—a drug that doctors use to “put people to sleep” for surgery. It is given to patients through an “intravenous drip,” (called an “IV” for short) that goes through a special needle into a patient’s vein, so the medicine goes directly into the bloodstream.
Doctors who give patients propofol are generally known as “anesthesiologists” and have special training. These experts set up the IV, make sure the patient is “sleeping” comfortably, and then carefully monitor vital signs (like heart rate, breathing, etc.) while the patient has surgery.
Doctors like using propofol because it leaves the body very quickly, which allows the patient to wake up after surgery more rapidly, without bad side effects. Propofol can be a useful drug when it’s given by people who are properly trained. But like many prescription drugs, it can be very harmful if used inappropriately. Propofol should be given only in a hospital setting where the patient can be closely monitored.
A Lost Legend
Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication. Additional drugs found in Michael’s system were the depressants midazolam and diazepam, the painkiller Lidocaine, and the stimulant ephedrine. His doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted of causing the singer’s death by giving Michael the propofol that caused him to stop breathing. By helping Michael abuse drugs—even if it was to “help him sleep”—he contributed to the loss of a legend. Michael’s untimely death was mourned by millions of people.
Teens Help Shatter the Myths About Drugs
In communities across the country, students, teachers, and parents joined forces in NIDA’s second annual National Drug Facts Week from October 31 to November 6, 2011.
From Knoxville, Tennesee, to Siskiyou County in northern California, to La Plata, Maryland, teens gathered in school and neighborhood events to get real about drugs and addiction. In addition, teens from 71 schools from coast to coast participated in an online Drug Facts Chat Day event and submitted more than 10,000 questions to NIDA scientists.
Following are some examples of other events held around the country in honor of National Drug Facts Week.
Creating PSAs in Tennessee
In Knoxville, TN, the Metropolitan Drug Commission produced a series of public service announcements (PSAs) that Comcast Cable will air for free throughout the fall and winter.
Five teens posed questions to experts on camera to help shatter the myths about alcohol and other drugs. Topics were chosen based on the top five most commonly abused drugs in Knox County, where Knoxville is located. Those drugs are marijuana, alcohol, prescription drugs, tobacco, and inhalants.
View the PSAs:
A Painted Bridge and Real-Life Stories in California
Students from a leadership class at Mt. Shasta High School in Siskiyou County, CA, painted a “grafitti bridge” to honor those who had lost their lives to drug addiction. The goal of the project was to encourage teens to get the facts about drugs, tobacco, and alcohol by visiting the NIDA for Teens Web site.
In addition, a panel of speakers spoke to teens about how their lives were affected by drug addiction and the toll it took on themselves and their community. Leon, for example, crashed his pickup truck while driving drunk 6 years ago and was in a coma for 9 days. He suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him with speech, coordination, and memory deficits.
The Siskiyou County Office of Education and the local public health department also sponsored a poster contest entitled, “It’s a Fact.” They received close to 500 student entries. A kindergartener from Butteville Elementary School, was one of 16 winners. In all, 800 posters were professionally printed and posted around the county.
Facing the Facts at Juvenile Drug Court in Maryland
The city of La Plata, MD, applied the messages of National Drug Facts Week in a completely different way.
A crowd of more than 50 family members came to witness as two teens “graduated” from Juvenile Drug Court and had their records cleared. The teens participated in therapy and counseling in an intervention program designed to offer treatment and a chance for a clean start for nonviolent offenders who are chronic drug users between age 14 and 17.
Invited speaker Stanley Goodall, a counselor who worked with both graduates, recalled the changes that the two teens experienced and how their lives are much different now than when he first met them. “We thought the young man would be a casualty,” Mr. Goodall said. But now, with a clear record and a strong sense of purpose, he intends to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
What ideas do you think would work to share the facts about drugs and addiction at your school or in your neighborhood? What would inspire you to host an event next year so that you can make a difference?
Read about more 2011 National Drug Facts Week events.
Using the Internet To Learn the Science About Drugs
The Internet is teeming with blogs about everything from food to shopping to high-tech gadgets. Anyone and everyone can start a blog, and while many bloggers try their hardest to get the facts right, mistakes do happen. When considering a post about a new fashion trend, that may seem harmless; but what about blogs that include information about prescription drug abuse or the effects of inhalants? In that case, wrong information can be dangerous—even deadly.
NIDA works hard to give teens accurate and reliable information on the Internet and encourages teens to ask questions about drugs and drug abuse. NIDA even sponsors a major Internet-based event every year called Drug Facts Chat Day where high school students from around the country can ask questions directly to NIDA experts.
Also, you can always ask questions here, in the SBB comments. Recently, SBB received a bunch of interesting new comments on last year’s post about NIDA’s National Drug Facts Week, “Get the Download on Drugs: Help Us Shatter the Myths.” Apparently, a teacher assigned students to read this blog post to help them answer particular questions.
Here are some sample comments (we didn’t edit these at all):
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@baloghperiod3:
Question 5 – The best way to get the message out to teens is on TV because not all teens have a computer or an account, but most teens have a TV and watch it all the time at home. You can have a TV show where the they dedicate an episode to not doing stuff like, smoking and drinking!!
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@muellerperiod5:
Question 4- If an athlete uses steroids to improve they’re performance, I do think that is cheating. Because, they would be stronger than everyone else, it just wouldn’t be fair, that person could hurt others, and they would make the people who aren’t on steroids feel bad because they wouldn’t be doing as well as the person who is. Using steroids, or any other type of drug, comes with consequences. I think that the athlete who is using steroids should be kicked off the team as their consequence. I bet someone who doesn’t use steroids would do even better than the person who is.
Question 5 – I think Social Networks would be the best way to get the message out to teens. I think that because, most kids are on Facebook and Myspace and Twitter or just on the computer. Most teens wouldn’t pay attention to adults when they say drugs are bad, but since it’s on Facebook or Twitter, they would be more likely to pay attention.
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SBB is proud to provide this science-based blog (and resource!) for teens.
So, how can you tell if the Web sites you visit offer reliable information?
To answer the questions, you can either write your response in the “Leave a Reply” box below, or send us a message. We read all of your comments and feedback.
Ask the Experts: Today Is Drug Facts Chat Day
Today is NIDA’s fifth annual Drug Facts Chat Day. Students and teachers in classrooms across the United States have the unique opportunity to submit questions to the Nation’s top experts in the field of drug abuse and addiction. As part of this second annual National Drug Facts Week, today’s chat will help shatter the myths about drugs and drug abuse.
NIDA’s experts will answer as many questions as they can. During the 2010 Chat Day, they answered more than 1,500 questions—including questions about the consequences of drug use, prescription drug abuse, and specific drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and inhalants.
Anyone can watch the 2011 live chat beginning today at 8 a.m. EST. However, only schools that have completed advanced registration and received an access code may submit questions.
If your school isn’t registered and you want to ask a question anonymously, ask it below in the comments (just make sure to create a username that doesn’t identify you), and we may select it for future blog posts for SBB’s “Real Teens Ask” category.
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National Institute on Drug Abuse | National Institutes of Health | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
